1. SOCCER COACHING
The complete soccer coaching experience
2
Volume 2
March/April 2004
International
Brazilian National Team
Brazil U17s
Erich Rutemöller
German Soccer
Association
Nico Romijn
Royal Dutch
Soccer Association
John Alpress
English FA
Goalkeeping
anno 2004
www.soccercoachinginternational.com

2. Editorial
Contents
march/april 2004
SoccerCoachingInternational is a magazine for
soccer coaches all over the world from the publisher
of TrainersMagazine, the Dutch magazine for
soccer coaches. The Magazine will be released
six times a year.
Chief editor
Paul van Veen
Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK
THE NETHERLANDS
E-mail: paulvanveen@sportfacilities.com
Publisher
Sportfacilities & Media BV
Visiting Address:
Steynlaan 19H ZEIST
THE NETHERLANDS
Postal Address:
Postbus 952, 3700 AZ ZEIST
THE NETHERLANDS
E-mail: sci@sportfacilities.com
Phone: +31-(0)30 - 697 77 10
Fax: +31-(0)030 - 697 77 20
4
“A new approach after EURO 2000”
Erich Rutemoller discusses the new approach to coach in Germany after
EURO 2000. As an assistant to Rudi Voller, Erich works with the national
team in preparation for the World Cup 2006, held in Germany. Eriich is responsible for the German ‘talent team’, all young Bundesliga players who
need international experience.
10
modules, which were introduced last year in Holland. This year the modules for the under 8, 10 and 12’s were translated and introduced by
Reedswain at the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)
convention of the last January in the United States.
14
JOHN ALPRESS, NATIONAL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE FA
Can you as a (youth) coach be less intrusive?
In October 2000 John Allpress left his post with the Ipswich Town Academy
to re-join the FA and in January 2002 began a new job as National Player
Development Coach – a task that saw him undertake work in England’s
Football Academies and Centres of Excellence with coaches and players in
the 9 – 16 age range.
18
EDWIN REDER, HFC U19 COACH, ON MODERN WINGERS
20
LUIZ “LUCHO” NIZZO, BRAZILIAN NATIONAL U17 TEAM COACH
"You can get a lot from one exercise"
The Brazilian National U15 team played three friendly games in Bradenton
(Florida), as preparation for the U17s World-cup in Peru in 2005. This was
27
a good opportunity for SoccerCoachingInternational to talk with team coach
Luiz “ Lucho” Nizzo. It was not just an interview with the coach but also
the whole staff from equipment manager to head of the delegation, a sena-
Copyright
All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise
reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
ISSN 1571 - 8794
Dutch circuit model for youngsters introduced in the USA
modules of the younger age groups. Tino Stoop is the developer of the
Editorial staff:
Paul Cooper, Maaike Denkers, Bert-Jan Heijmans,
Peter Langens, Hans Slender and Paul van Veen.
This publication is purchased with the understanding
that information presented is from many sources
for which there can be no warranty or responsibility
by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or
completeness. It is sold with the understanding that
the publisher is not engaged in rendering product
endorsements or providing instruction as a substitue
for appropriate training by qualified sources.
SoccerCoachingInternational assumes no responsibility
for unsolicited material.
NICO ROMEIJN, ROYAL DUTCH FOOTBALL ORGANIZATION (KNVB)
Nico Romeijn is a KNVB staff member and is responsible for the education
Project Manager
Floris Schmitz
E-mail: f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com
Subscription Rates
You can subscribe to this magazine at the website:
www.soccercoachinginternational.com. The subscription rate is e 47,70/year for UK/USA subscribers
and e 59,90/year for subscribers from the rest of
the world. You will receive six magazines per year
and you will be able to register to the website
www.soccercoachinginternational.com
ERICH RUTEMOLLER: TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THE GERMAN
SOCCER ASSOCIATION (DFB)
tor from one of the Brazilian states.
24
MICHELE BORGHI, BOLOGNA FC U13 COACH:
28
RENÉ HAKE, U15 COACH BVO EMMEN:
“We don’t spend a lot of time on tactics”
"The challenge is to get them to help each other"

3. From the Editor
32
STEVE GUMMER, COERVER COACHING’S DIRECTOR OF
COACHING
Three different Soccer Associations
The importance of Technical development at an early age.
Welcome to the second issue of
SoccerCoachingInternational. I want to thank you all for
sending the enormous amount of positive reactions to our
product. This gives us extra motivation to continuosly
work on bettering the quality of our products and services. I am also pleased to see that most of the subscribers have found their way to our website and have been
able to experience the many benefits it has to offer, including our Exercises Database.
Soccer through its history has always maintained the same
objectives score more goals than the other team and you win, a
simple premise but not always as easy as it sounds. Generally it
is easier to destruct than it is to construct, so the better you can
master the ball the better the player you will become, which in
turn will provide confidence and the ability to take more risks as
a creative soccer player. SoccerCoachingInternational talked with
Steve Gummer Coerver Coaching’s Director of Coaching for
South Carolina and Boys’ Technical Director for Cobb FC, a highly
regarded club in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area.
36
TOM GOODMAN, US YOUTH SOCCER NATIONAL
DIRECTOR OF COACHING EDUCATION
Small-Sided Games in America
As the US Youth Soccer National Director of Coaching Education,
veteran soccer player at various levels, veteran youth coach and
father of three adult children, who used to be little soccer players, I have thought long and hard about the answer to the
questions, “Why Small-Sided Games?” and “Why here in
America?”
38
CIRENCESTER TOWN JUNIORS U6S
42
RUBEN STERRENBURG ON THE ROLE OF THE MODERN
GOALKEEPERS:
The young ones “Fun Variety and Games”
Goalkeeping is more than line keeping and kicking the ball up front
In todays soccer goalkeeping is no longer looked upon as of
secondary importance. The modern goalkeeper has to be able to
stand his ground in goal as well as on the field. Ruben
Sterrenburg talks about the modern goalkeeper and what skills
and assets they need to possess in order to function in the
modern game.
In this 2nd issue we have interviews with three of the
best known Soccer Associations in the world. We talked
with Erich Rötenmuller of the German Soccer Association
(DFB), Nico Romijn of the Royal Dutch Soccer Association
(KNVB) and John Alpress of the English FA.
Erich Rutemöller, assistant to national team coach Rudi
Voller, discusses the new approach to coaching in
Germany after Euro 2000. As we all know, the Germans
went out of the competition after the first round subsequent to two defeats and one draw. For a major soccer
country like Germany this was a signal to evaluate the
standard of coaching. Erich talks to
SoccerCoachingInternational about this new approach.
Nico Romeijn, staff member of the KNVB, is responsible
for the education modules of the younger age groups.
These modules were introduced last year in Holland. This
year the modules for the under 8, 10 and 12’s were
translated in English. Romeijn spoke with
SoccerCoachingInternational about the modules and the
way to use them.
John Allpress re-joined the English FA in January 2002 as
National Player Development Coach. Next to this job he
also coaches the England Under16 team with Head
Coach John McDermott. SCI also interviewed John and
this diversity in articles once again proves that we really
do have a truly ‘international’ magazine. Especially if you
take into account that we also interviewed Brasil U17
coach Luiz "Lucho" Nizzo.
I hope you enjoy reading the second edition of our magazine. And if you haven’t done so already, please also visit
our website, because SCI is more than just a magazine:
it is a complete soccer coaching experience.
46
THE FIRST TOUCH
‘A touch is a touch, even a bad one’
Yours in soccer,
47
VARIOUS
Paul van Veen
Editor

4. Erich Rutemöller discusses the new approach to coaching in
Germany after Euro 2000. As we all know, the Germans went
out of the competition after the first round after two defeats
and one draw. For a major soccer country like Germany this
was a signal to evaluate the standard of coaching. As an
assistant to Rudi Voller, Erich works with the national team in
preparation for the World Cup in 2006, held in Germany. Erich
is responsible for the German ‘talent team’, all young
Bundesliga players who need international experience.
Erich Rutemöller: Technical director of the
German Soccer Association (DFB)
“A new approach after
EURO 2000”
Germany changed their approach to coaching after the debacle
of Euro 2000. They went home after the first round, subsequent to their losses against England and Portugal and a draw
with Romania.
“We were always very successful with the national team during
World and European championships. But this was a warning for
us, and a very welcome one. We realized that if we did not
change our approach to develop and educate our coaches we
would not be able to provide the national team with the talent
other countries can produce. Even at the highest level we need
a different approach because soccer is changing all the time,
so the coaches have to change their approach too.”
Results Germany during European championships
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
4
(4 teams)
(4 teams)
(4 teams)
(4 teams)
(4 teams)
(8 teams)
(8 teams)
(8 teams)
(8 teams)
(16 teams)
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Did not enter
Did not enter
Did not qualify
Winners
Runners-up
Winners
First round (group matches)
Semi final
Runners-up
Winners
No. 2 - March/April 2004
NSCAA Convention Charlotte (USA)
SoccerCoachingInternational met Erich at the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention. During
the convention (approx. 3000 coaches attended), Erich gave a
presentation on the difference in approach of the DFB after
Euro 2000. He also gave a practical session in one of the convention halls on small-sided games.
SoccerCoachingInternational listened to Erich’s ideas about
the game and the vision for the future of German soccer.
Why a change of coaching philosophy?
After the disaster of Euro 2000 the DFB came to the conclusion that hey had to change and introduce three major
programs:
• Expand DFB talent promotion program
• Youth academies, run by professional clubs
• Restructure coaches training program
Erich explains the above issues to SCI. As we all know, we are
one of the most successful soccer nations on the globe. We
have won all the major trophies and our way and system of
playing has been consistent over the years. We will never play
like the Brazilians or the Dutch; our style of play is aggressive

5. GER - Erich Rutemöller
Coaching Philosophy of the
German Soccer Federation
and full of power. Fitness has always been a hot topic, and
many of the results relied on the fitness and mentality of our
players. The will to win was always there and we often came
back from behind to win a title. But nowadays the game has
changed, so you can’t solely rely on the above qualities. The
game is faster and the players now are more match fit (both
physically and psychologically). We realized that we also had to
change the way of coaching, which means that ‘old fashioned’
coaches have to change their approach and that young coaches need to be instructed in the modern approach to training,
practice sessions and match preparation.
Practice sessions 2004
In Germany we think, probably along with every country in the
world, that you have to stick with the ideas of coaching that
have made you successful in the past. Our punishment came
during Euro 2000 and we realized that we have to work very
hard to bridge the gap with other countries, who were ahead of
us on coaching schemes. The main changes we introduced
and which should be used by the modern coach were:
sions. By doing the course sessions more and more on the
field you explore how to set up your sessions and how to handle situations on the field.
The Professional Coaching License
The professional coaching license is based on the evaluation
of the above conclusions and will provide the modern coach
with information, which is necessary in today’s game. We are
very pleased with the program and the reactions of the coaches who attended the course were generally very positive.
Training program objectives:
Preparation for specialization in various fields:
Ø DFB or association coach
Ø professional coach
Ø director of a professional club’s
youth academy
Preparation for the following duties:
Ø an active role in talent scouting and promotion
• Everyone learns together
• Moving from teacher-oriented learning to interactive,
learner-oriented methods
• Focus on practical applications, projects and problems
• Communicative learning (cooperation, group work)
• Self-directed learning (independent problem-solving)
The most important change for our federation is that we
changed from a teacher orientated learning process to a
process of interactivity. Which means that we all learn from
each other and that at the end of the course the teacher, is
part of the group, where soccer ideas are shared. A lot is
based on the practical sessions instead of classroom ses-
Ø expanded instruction for association coaches
Ø as coach: F increasing a team’s tactical versatility
F stabilizing a team’s form at a high level
F building support staff structure
F encouraging players to reach a high level of
performance
F appearing as the team’s representative
Topics/Areas of specialization
• professional-level structural analysis
No. 2 - March/April 2004
5

6. • professional-level technical-tactical training
• professional-level condition training
• practice planning and evaluation
• youth soccer
• coaching during play
• sports medicine
• sports education and psychology
Talent Team Germany 2006
As part of the whole change of structure in coaching after Euro
2000, we introduced a so-called Talent team in Germany. I am
responsible for that team. The whole philosophy of this team
is that we want to prepare young players for the 2006 World
Cup in our country. All the players who play for this team play
in the Bundesliga and need to achieve international experience
by playing against the best players from other countries. Our
strategy is based on the observation that top players will
improve when they play against other top players. Therefore
we have to give them a chance to promote themselves. They
will only be better when you allow them to make mistakes. By
making mistakes they learn and explore that on the highest
levels, everything depends on details.
• legal issues and club management
Attackers
Creating a training program for the
Professional Coaching License
Introductory course: The basics of soccer (eight weeks)
Midterm examination
Internship with a professional team (four weeks):
Coach shadowing (three weeks)
youth academy (one week)
Specialized training (eight weeks):
Professional coaching (four weeks)
youth coaching (two weeks)
Training (regional associations) (two weeks)
Final examination
Training program as of
• Observation of an international tournament as evaluation
material for training
• Formation of four observation groups:
Attack: Attack-building
Attack: Setting up and taking advantage of scoring
opportunities
Defensive concepts
Game formations and performance profiles for individual
positions
One of the complaints of German football now is that we have
a lack of strikers. In the past we have had great strikers like
Gert Muller, Uli Hoeness, Karl Heinz Rumminnige, Jurgen
Klinsman and Rudi Voller. Why don’t we have strikers like that
coming through now? My opinion about strikers is quite clear;
when you can’t play in a team structure you will never reach
the top. Top class strikers make the difference; they can
decide the game in one second. What we do in Germany now
is a more individual approach with the players and work on
specific qualities and skills for different positions. We reached
the final in Japan/Korea because we were very strong as a
team without a specific star. We lost the final because of the
individual qualities of Brazil, which in the end was the difference between the two teams.
Tactics
On tactics, I always keep in mind that when you do not have
the technique you can forget about tactics. I work with the talented youth players in Germany, and I realize that my German
players are not Brazilians or Portuguese players. They can all
handle the ball and have descent technique. But our strength
is the power, passion and working spirit combined with a
strong mentality and tactics. I am a strong believer that when
you understand how to attack the opponent you can win a
game. For example we often play 3-5-2 with the two outside
midfielders being very important when the opponent has the
ball. What I want from my outside midfielders is that when the
opponents play a goal kick to one of their full backs, my midfielder runs to the full back and puts pressure on him. If the
whole team does not react on the move of the midfielder it will
be a simple solution for the opposition to create an overload
and to outplay my midfielder.
Zonal play
F Multimedia presentation of observations (all four groups)
F Creation of practice sessions for individual training concepts
6
No. 2 - March/April 2004
When we do this well it means that the whole team moves with
the direction of the ball. When the ball is played from a goal kick
to their left full back, I want my number 7 to make a move
straight to him. If my forwards do not move to their central
defenders and the rest of my midfielders do not move to the right
there will be a gap, and the pressure on the opponent will be

7. gone. I even expect my defenders to move
with the ball. By putting pressure on the
ball, I want to put pressure on the opposition and in general you will see that it will
be very hard for the opposition to find
space. These kind of tactics rely on
details, as every single player must understand what his duty is in the team after
the first player makes his move.
Small-sided games
The talent team I coach is a team with
the best players in Germany, but they
still have to learn a lot. A game of
eleven a side is always hard to analyse
and you hope that every player makes
the correct decision. Decision-making at
every level is the key to success. Soccer
is not a game of chess where you only
can use the knight in certain directions.
For every action a player has plenty of
options to choose from, our job is to
teach the player to take the best option.
Braking down the game into small-sided
games will give the coach the opportunity to coach and guide the players in an
easier way. Furthermore, it will be easier
for the player to understand what he is
doing right and wrong.
4v4
During my practices in Charlotte I started with 4 v 4. Why 4 v 4? There are lots
of reasons to play 4 v 4 but the main
reason is that it is the smallest game
with all the ingredients of a normal
game. It still gives you the opportunity
to play side ways, backwards and deep.
Other reasons to play 4 v 4 are:
• Maximum ball contact.
• Maximum ball movement.
• Environment for skill acquisition.
• Environment for tactical intervention.
• Duplicate game movements at game
speed – Running, passing, receiving,
shooting, etc.
• Opportunities for improving interaction
and communication
• Promote the value of receiving, passing and quality ball control.
• Encourage the ability to create space
as an individual and as a team.
• Decision making is shared, and individual contributions are responsible to
produce positive team outcomes
No. 2 - March/April 2004
7

8. • Opportunities for situational and spontaneous
team-work
• Format for the value of co-operation and team-work
• Participants must be flexible, and able to adapt to
quick changes.
These are several topics, which are covered in the 4 v 4
games. More important is that during the game the
responsibility of each player will be very high as they are
each responsible for 25% of the field. All the above mentioned topics can be used by the coach to explain how to
improve. This way of learning is an easier format than the
full sized game and will give the coaches the opportunity,
after using small sided games many times, to progress to
the more complicated 7 a side game.
In general we can say that the German Federation picked
up the warning from Euro 2000, which resulted in reaching the final of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
Erich admits that the change to the approach in coaching
can’t be achieved overnight, but the overall reactions to
the changes are positive. Related to what he observes on
the fields of the DFB with the young talents he is pleased
to say that there is a lot of hope for the future.
Articlecode 2c2fdff9
8
No. 2 - March/April 2004
Passport
Name:
Erich Rutemöller
Date of birth
February 8th 1945
Career as player:
Borussia Rheine 08,
SSV Koettingen,
1. FC Cologne
Career as coach:
1. FC Cologne,
Bonner SC,
FC Hansa Rostock
At DFB since
July 1st 1994

9. 4v4 line soccer
I chose a game of line soccer during the convention,
because I wanted to observe the individual skills as well
as the team performance. With line soccer you encourage
the team to score as quickly as possible when they have the
opportunity, but you also encourage the individual player to
make an action when there is an opportunity to take a man
on. The whole back line is the scoring line so there are loads
of opportunities for an individual and for team to find that
spare man.
8v7 counter game
As an extension of the 4 v 4 games you can use the 7 v 7, 8 v 8 or the
games with an overload like 8 v 7. I did two games during the convention, the ‘normal’ 7 v 7 (with goalkeepers) and the 8 v 7, also known
as the counter game. To give you an idea what the differences are
between the two games I will give you more detail on what I was trying
to achieve. In the first game, which is the ordinary 7 v 7 game with goalkeepers, it is constantly the decision making of the individual player,
what to do in possession and non-possession. The importance again all
depends on the movement and support of your team-mates (working as
a team). In possession it is important to create space as wide and as
deep as possible, but because there are now more players on the field
than with 4 v 4 you have more opportunities, which will make your decision harder. Coaching the decision of the player with the ball and what
happens around him gives me the opportunity for lots of coaching
points. During the practice I had lots of opportunities to coach them and
to stop the game, but in the end the game is the best teacher. Also give
them the opportunity and the time to solve their own problems. Try to
find the balance between stopping the game time after time and letting
it go.
8v7 counter game
This game is totally different from the 7 v 7 game, first of
all because I created an overload of players and furthermore, the centre forward of the 8 was allowed to stand in
the attacking third without being offside. What I tried to realize
was that the attacking team, would try to give a pass to the centre forward as quick as possible every time they regained possession. By giving the pass the team also has to close by supporting the forward. As a team you try to achieve a quick counter
attack, which creates an overload, which should in turn end up in
many changes. The key point is the concentration, the pace and
the accuracy of the actions. For the defending team this means
that with possession they need all the players to support each
other, but on the other hand they still need an eye on the attacker because he can cause them a lot of trouble when they lose
possession.
No. 2 - March/April 2004
9

10. Nico Romeijn is a KNVB staff member and is responsible for the education modules of the younger age groups. Tino Stoop is the developer of
the modules, which were introduced last year in Holland. This year the
modules for the under 8, 10 and 12’s were translated and introduced by
Reedswain at the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of
America)convention last January in the United States. Nico Romeijn was
there and spoke with SoccerCoachingInternational about the modules
and the way to use them.
By: Bert-Jan Heijmans
Nico Romeijn,
Royal Dutch Football
Organization (KNVB)
Dutch circuit model for youngsters
introduced in the USA
SoccerCoachingInternational visited the NSCAA convention
in Charlotte, North Caroline and met Nico Romeijn of the
KNVB. Nico was there with his colleague Wim Koevermans
on invitation by the NSCAA and Reedswain, the publisher of
Soccer books and videos.
dren trough their starting career, is very important. We often do
not realize that this phase of a child’s soccer career is probably
the most important one. Within this phase we create the foundation of their future as a player.
The beginning
We spoke with Nico and his colleague Wim Koevermans about
topics like; children characteristics, parents/coaches, fun, let
them play, over coaching, etc. Obvious to the people of
SoccerCoachingInternational was, that there is a difference in
approach between the USA and Holland concerning the guidance of children through their starting soccer career. In the USA
everything is related to success, which is different from
Holland, where enjoyment and individual development is far
more important at the start of young players career. It was
quite clear that many American coaches were a little bit confused after Nico’s practical session. Nico does not interfere
that much and allows the children to discover how to solve
problems on their own (creativity). They have to explore what a
game of soccer is. He said; “why should we give the solution
for the children when the children can find the solution by themselves.”
Youngsters
The most important fact in working with very young children is
that you need to understand what they can and cannot do. 6
year old children have a totally different attitude than 11 year
old children. The coach’s approach on how to guide these chil-
10
No. 2 - March/April 2004
Children start playing soccer for several reasons. Their friends
are playing soccer; dad took him/her to soccer games, televi-

11. sion etc. The reason is always positive; being member of a club
(socializing), to meet friends and have fun with a ball. It is
always about the ball and that is what we have to create for the
children, an environment which will reach their imagination. A
child is never dreaming about running tracks when he/she is
thinking about soccer. The beginning of a child’s soccer career
has nothing to do with fitness, tactics or mentality; it has to do
with fun and a smile on their face, because of that ball and
playing the game.
Parents
Parents are the most important people in a child’s starting soccer career. They often support them in joining the game, but
more importantly the parents are often the children’s first
coaches when they start at a very young age. This is supposed
to be the most important phase in their life as a soccer player.
NL - Nico Romeijn
groups. E.g., one of the coaches is setting up the circuit model;
the other breaks it down with his team after the training session.
Modules
The reasons the KNVB (Tino Stoop) chose the modules for the
Under 8, 10 and 12 are as mentioned above; the time parents/coaches want to spend on coaching courses. The modules take only twelve hours over a three month time span.
There will be three sessions together with the tutors; the first
session is the introduction stage. In this session the tutors will
explain what the coaches can expect from the course and they
will give them the necessary information about the module.
Afterwards, the coaches go back to their club, where they will
The parents do not need extensive knowledge about
the game of soccer, because the set up of the
circuit model will give the children the opportunity
to explore the game by themselves
Parents are going into coaching without any experience but
want to help the children out. Good willing parents who don’t
want to spend too much time on coaching courses.
Circuit Training
Why circuit training? The main reason has to be; because of
the children. Young children do not have a broad attention
span. All kinds of exercises during a training session provide
them with a lot of fun and they will not easily get bored. The
parents do not need extensive knowledge about the game of
soccer, because the set up of the circuit model will give the
children the opportunity to explore the game by themselves.
The parents/coaches have the opportunity to work separately,
but also in combination with other coaches of the same age
have the opportunity to practice with the modules. During the
second session, they talk with tutors about their experiences
and learn how to optimize a training session based on a circuit
module. Between the second and third session there is a time
span of about two months. The reason for this is that the
coaches have to familiarize themselves with the model and
have to rely on their experience, which they picked up during
the sessions with the tutors. The last session is all about their
experience during the time the coaches were working with the
modules. They will give a demonstration training concerning the
module and the tutors will give some last instructions to optimize the use of the circuit and make it a success within their
club/team.
No. 2 - March/April 2004
11

12. Expectations Parents/Coaches
The time you have to spend during the
course is very limited and the objectives
are very clear. There is no necessary
knowledge needed of the game of soccer, which means that most of the clubs
(parents!) were very enthusiastic after
the introduction of the modules. The
modules are a welcomed addition in the
course curriculum of the KNVB. After all,
the parents who are involved with their
child’s game as a coach can possibly be
remembered by the child as their most
important coach during their whole
career. This introduction of having fun
and just playing soccer will be the foundation of a child as a successful soccer
player and above all as person.
of affect this may have on the development of the child as a soccer player, but
more importantly in their social life. By
working with the circuit training modules
you give the children the freedom to be
themselves and to explore the game of
soccer by themselves. No interference
by adults, making mistakes, having fun
and being positive are the keywords during such a training session. The coach
will only be the guide and will change the
rules or guidelines when the exercise is
either too easy or too difficult, but in the
end the keywords to success are always
be positive and give the children the
chance to explore the game by themselves.
Experienced and inexperiencedPsychology
Interesting topic, because the psychological part of the parents/coaches relation
to the youngsters it is not a very known
topic in youth soccer. A very realistic
question to Nico was; what is the KNVB
doing about the understanding of parents/coaches concerning the imagination
of a child. Starting with a parent, which
has no knowledge about the game of
soccer, it is quite obvious that you try to
integrate this subject into the module
without mentioning it that much. The parent/coach, which is working with the circuit training, does not realize what kind
coaches
The model is not only for coaches without experience. During the course it
often happened that the development of
a coach with none or little soccer and/or
coaching experience is developing progressively. This means that there is a
desire to go more into depth. On the
other end, there are also coaches with
soccer and/or coaching experience who
join the course. The process from an
inexperienced to an experienced coach
depends on three questions:
• Is the practice running smoothly?
• Did you achieve what you wanted to
achieve?
• Did the children learn anything?
A starting coach will be concerned about
his organization in the beginning and the
way the children handle his information
(achievement during a smooth practice).
A more experienced coach will change or
influence the practice by means of his
observations on how the children
progress (did they learn anything).
Warming up
“I usually use the warming up as part of
the training to bring them in a soccer
environment. They have just come back
from school, so it is very important that
they go from a more brain environment
into a sport environment, which is fun.
The children need to have fun with each
other in a soccer environment. At this
age stretching is not really necessary,
the most importing point is that they
move around and play some games with
each other. I used a tag game as warming up.”
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No. 2 - March/April 2004

13. Penalty Game
Organization
- 7 x 12 meters
- Try to score from the first penalty spot. Afterwards you can change the distance
to the goal.
- Example: Walk with the ball to the first marker. Place the ball and shoot on goal.
If you score a goal, your second attempt will be from the second marker.
- The striker has to place the ball on the spot with his foot; the other children are
outside the box (behind a cone)
- Scoring means that your second attempt will be from the second marker (one
further away)
- If you miss your next try will be from the same marker
- If you fail twice the next attempt means one marker closer to the goal
- You collect your own ball and you line up behind the others who are waiting for
their attempt
- When the goalkeeper catches a ball, he will roll it back to the next striker.
- Every goal is important which means that you put up one of the count cones
- After three goals you change the goalkeeper
3v2
Line Football
Organization
- The total playing field is 20 x 12 meters, from which
12 x 2 metres is the end box.
- The team in possession tries by playing together to reach the other end;
they can only score when they dribble the ball over the line and stop the
ball in the scoring area. The opposition tries to prevent this and also tries
to score.
- Starting point is from your own goal line
- After a score the same set up but now the other player will be the attacker.
You can only start when the defender is in his own half.
- The neutral player always plays with the team which has possession
- When three points are reached the game is over
- After five minutes the coach gives a sign to change, which means that someone else will be the neutral player
- When a player dribbles the ball out of the side of the pitch, the other
player is allowed to dribble the ball back on from where the ball went
out.
Crossing The Crocodile Swamp Game
Organization
- Total area is 15 x 10 meter; corridors are 8 x 5 meter- The three
players with the ball try to reach the end with the ball still at their
feet. They have to stop the ball before the end of the channel and jog
back through the corridor and start again. - The crocodile (defender) in the
swamp tries to catch one of the players by touching the ball.
- The children decide who starts as the crocodile, the others take a ball and
line up at the edge of the swamp
- In front and behind the swamp the players are ‘free’
- When the crocodile touches the ball, he gives it straight back to the attacker.
The attacker walks back and puts up one of the ‘count’ cones. He starts
again.
- When the crocodile has achieved three touches (three ‘count’ cones),
another crocodile will defend the swamp.
- The player also looses a point when he leaves the swamp side ways
- The game always starts when all three children are ready at the starting line
No. 2 - March/April 2004
13

14. In October 2000 John Allpress left
his post with the Ipswich Town
Academy to re-join the FA and in
January 2002 began a new job as
National Player Development Coach –
a task that saw him undertake work
in England’s Football Academies and
Centres of Excellence with coaches
and players in the 9 – 16 age range.
The work involved the establishment
of an FA Youth Coaches’ Course
[Under 11 and 12- 16 modules]
which coaches have to attain to work
in Academies and Centres of
Excellence and a national programme of workshops for the same group.
Add to this coaching the England
Under 16 team with Head Coach John
McDermott and you can get a picture
of a pretty full life.
By: Bert-Jan Heijmans
John Alpress, National Player Development Coach of the FA
Can you as a (youth)
coach be less intrusive?
Workshops
The idea for the workshops came directly from research I had
undertaken into learning and how players learn. I realised
there was a lot of new information that could help the coaches
of our youngest players and that they should be made aware
of it. I did not see my job as ‘telling them what to do’ but
rather, raising their awareness of such issues and then letting
them make the decisions as to how important this new knowledge was and how they could use it. So far 40 workshops
have been conducted at Academies and Centres of Excellence
throughout England and have been very well received. Tonight
our hosts are Middlesbrough FC and the coaches are
Middlesbrough and Newcastle United Academy coaches who
work with their under 9, 10 and 11 players. John is accompanied on this occasion by Pete Sturgess, an expert coach with
this age range, who assists John on the ‘FA Youth Coaches’
Courses.
Academies
When Academies came along in the mid – nineties some professional clubs [mostly in the Premiership and Nationwide
League Division One] made a big commitment to youth development. There are some very fine Academies and Centres of
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No. 2 - March/April 2004
Excellence in England with first class facilities and staff and
the system is still evolving after a very positive start. England
now has some very talented and exciting players at the youth
team level and one of the youngest National Teams in world
football.
Talent
It is getting more and more difficult for even the most talented
players to break into first teams especially in the Premiership
– clubs in that League operate in a global market. As a consequence Academies are looking for ‘special’ players and those
special players need stimulation and challenge through inventive and imaginative practice. Coaches must understand the
players’ needs and how vital the ‘positive learning environment’ is to a player’s development. An environment that allows
players the time and the opportunity to practice, repeat and revisit problems so they know how to make their own decisions
and not always rely on the coach. Like Arsene Wenger once
said;” In England there is so much talent. I am convinced that
at least 20 players at non-league level could have played as
well as Thierry Henry in the premiership if they had been
exposed to the correct coaching. I think it is easier to spoil
your talent than to bring it to the top.”

15. “You need talent too teach talent, Inventiveness and Imagination”
“Youth coaches must be careful
not to drown their own talent”
New Approach
Pete works with about twenty children aged 9, 10 and 11 in a
hall, 50 by 30 yards in dimension. Interestingly e while we are
standing around the pitch, we can’t hear anything he is saying.
Obviously he is very relaxed and quite easily gets the attention
of the children. Pete explains to us.
“When I was working at the Derby County Academy, we were
always looking at what would benefit the child. For example;
when a new player joins for a six-week trial, sometimes he
finds himself taking part in an exercise or game that the rest
of the squad have already played and are familiar with. This
puts the new player at a disadvantage straight away. When the
new player joins in he is already nervous and if he can see
that everyone else knows immediately what to do he could
feel a whole lot worse. It was suggested that when a new player arrives the coach should introduce at least one new exercise. This means that all the children will experience the game
for the first time and this allows the new player to compete on
equal terms. It is important that the coach promotes an environment, which gives the child help and support instead of
FEAR.
Responsibility
During the first exercise (the warm up) I believe it is important
to “connect” with the group. This is done through chatting with
them and asking them questions. Their input is immediately
deemed of value and this allows them to relax and begin to
enjoy the games to come. They will grow in confidence, which
gives me the opportunity to give them some responsibility.
Children can do more than we imagine. I let them mark out the
areas that we are going to use. Most children can mark out a
pretty decent circle or square so let them do it. After a while I
ask them what they think about the exercise? Their answer is
that the circle should be smaller because the exercise is too
easy. They made the decision to make the circle smaller, not
me. The children are thinking about what they are doing, they
make the decision. Making your own decision on the pitch, not
depending on the instructions of the coach is what matters
and good habits developed at an early age are usually there
forever and players who can “sort things out for themselves”
are the ones we are all after. The earlier you start with giving
them the responsibility to make their own decisions the better
it is.
“How much can players be trusted to
find their own way?”
Stop Stand Still
For years the FA used the ‘stop, stand still’ method to explain
to players what they were doing wrong, explains Pete. This is
still a valid intervention but with younger players other methods might be more productive. What if you can create an environment where it is OK to make mistakes and it is the coach’s
role to help you to overcome them? Telling the players what is
wrong is totally different from bringing them to a situation
where they understand what they are doing wrong and are
involved in the process of putting it right. The experience of
being brought into a situation where you have to find the solution by yourself makes you creative and gives you the responsibility to think for yourself. We as coaches think that we have
to control the practice before the players will develop. I think
that children learn far more when you make them your partner
in finding the solutions together. It is certainly a lot more fun
and hopefully the improvements are permanent because the
player himself has been so heavily involved.
Skills
“I think that by giving the children the freedom to be creative
and to express them “real” learning is taking place. My role
then is facilitating this environment where self-expression is
valued and encouraged. A natural dribbler will get bored when
an exercise of dribbling is too easy for him. By giving him the
freedom to try things he will be encouraged to find the right
dribbling move for any given interaction. The input from me is
limited to give the players the chance to come up with a solu-
No. 2 - March/April 2004
15

16. tion of their own. If they need help and support it is always
given. For example, during the finishing on the goal exercise, I
gave the players in the middle the freedom to create their own
overload. When you’re a very natural dribbler, you can opt for a
1 v 1 situation, but a player who is not comfortable dribbling,
preferring to pass the ball, could choose to play 3 v 1. The
reward is that when you score in a 1 v 1 you earn three points
instead of only 1 point in a 3 v 1. By giving them responsibility
they have to make the decision, looking at the risk and safety
factors. The decision they make is dependent on their own
confidence, skills and knowledge. The children soon realize
that the end result is more positive when you understand what
you are good at and what you are not. By bringing them time
after time into the same situation they start to realize how to
make the right decision themselves.”
learning – how do we [the coaches] help and support them.
John says by managing their mistakes and successes effectively and to their advantage.
Expectations
Back in the meeting the coaches debrief the evening by outlining any ideas and insights they have had. John explains how
he feels that unrealistic expectations on the part of coaches,
parents and players can be damaging and create unnecessary
pressure. So realistic expectation of what individuals can
achieve at particular times in their growth, maturation and
development cycles will have consequences for performance,
physical activity and the players’ ability to take in and use
information effectively. Therefore it is very important that our
youngest players can relax and enjoy the challenge of learning
at a professional club without having to carry the extra burden
of ‘potential’ like a weight around their necks.
Learning Environments
Player Development is more than just ‘coaching’. It is about
‘learning’. The definition of ‘Academy’ is place of learning.
John went and talked to many people who knew about ‘learning’ during his research. People who are experts in learning in
the nine to sixteen age range. People who support learning
with talented children and young people, as well as those who
are difficult and challenging.
The same seven criteria kept re-surfacing:
• Safe
• Secure
• Inclusive
• Ownership
• Challenges
• Choices
• Enjoyment
The first three are vital as they help to develop TRUST. But
coaches must understand that trust is a two way street. You
want them to trust you – but you have to trust them too.
Trust them to try new things, push out their boundaries and
extend themselves. Replace fear of failure with freedom of
Expression. Then when players make errors and mistakes, as
they will for a variety of reasons when they are young and still
16
No. 2 - March/April 2004
Youth coaches need to gain greater knowledge about what is
going on with individuals when they are trying to learn something new. That time and opportunity to practice without constant interruption is vital if experimentation and problem solving is to take place and learning is to stick.
Youth coaches need to learn how to create learning environments, which emphasize the positive to players rather than the
negative. Where players can practice, repeat and re-visit their
challenges and learn to problem solve by making their own
decisions. The function of the coach is central to this, as he
has to create these environments sometimes with the help of
the players. But coaches need to take place in the back seat
when it comes to practice and be less directive, prescriptive
and intrusive – let the kids play more.

17. JEAT Stops people learning effectively
•
•
•
•
Too Judgemental
Unrealistic Expectations
Too Authoritarian
Too Threatening
Enjoyment encourages learning
Once the child feels safe and has the freedom to explore, the
enjoyment factor will rise every week. The children will come
back every week with a smile on their face because they enjoy
it. Once they enjoy it, the will to learn will be higher. They learn
new skills, will practice and learn again, the so-called learning
circle.
England Under 16
John shows a video of a game. He mentioned that the team in
white have never played together before and that the team in
green have had four previous matches have not lost and have
not had a goal scored against them. John stops the video after
five minutes and asked three questions:
Start
Where do the coaches think the players are in their learning
cycle? What stage of learning are the players experiencing?
What would the coaches do during that particular five minute
passage of play to help and support the players effectively?
Move on
Reflect on the learning
Begin to learn
Consolidate the learning
By constantly practicing and repeating, the circle gets smaller
and smaller.
There are four stages of learning:
Unconsciously unskilled
Consciously unskilled
Consciously skilled
Unconsciously skilled
For stage 3 and 4 you need time and repetition. Reflection
on learning is very important for the player to understand the
trust from the coach in him.
Articlecode 86477d6a
John tells us that the white team are his England Under 16s in
a recent match versus Northern Ireland. The whites were playing with a degree of freedom, making mistakes but what else
could you realistically expect from 14 and 15 year old boys
experiencing something very new for the first time.
‘We thought it would be best to give them time to solve the
problems and gradually as they got more used to the new environment they got better – they are very talented individuals
and with our help and support found their own way. We as
player developers have to realise the players are still very
young and in a learning phase, which to the coaches should
have a greater significance than winning. But we must also
realise that winning is very important to the players. Believe
me every kid pulling on a club or international shirt wants to
win, but our job is to give them the tools to find out which way
is best for them not to stifle and discourage them because we
are worried about a result’.
“Create appropriate environments for
them to learn and use football as
the vehicle for that learning”
Conclusion
In general we can say that the environment the children have
to learn in is safe. Expectations are often a threat for the
development of a player. Let them play and assure them that
you trust them. Only then will they use their imagination and
guide themselves through the world of making mistakes and
learning from their mistakes. Try to use the positive aspects
instead of the negative ones, listen to them, do not shout at
them, do not make them players who come week after week to
their practice with fear in their hearts.
No. 2 - March/April 2004
17

18. Edwin Reder, HFC Haarlem U19 coach,
on modern wingers
“You can get a lot
from one exercise”
At Haarlem they like playing with wingers. Preferably with
a right footed player on the right side and with a left footed player on the left, like the Ajax style. Since there is a
partnership with Ajax, the basis has to be the same. “The
role of the winger, however, is constantly changing”,
according to Edwin Reder, U19 coach at HFC Haarlem. He
talks about the role of the modern winger.
“In the past teams would play with a winger playing forward
all the time, which made the game very static. Nowadays
wingers are more flexible. They fall back more and from that
position they can play more of a part in building the play.
Formerly, when you passed to a winger he only had to make a
move. Nowadays there is a lot more to it.”
“We are very aware what the right winger does when the left
winger has the ball . When he sees that the left winger is in a
1, 2, or 3 against 1 position, the right winger will have to
remain on his side of the field, in order to receive the cross
pass. However, when the left winger is able to beat his opponent(s) the right winger will have to be free to receive the
pass. “
“You can use one exercise to practice this. You do not have to
constantly update your exercises or add new ones. When you
add new accents to a new exercise, you can reach different
objectives with the same exercise. Its all about details or
accents.”
“The 6 against 6 exercise is perfect in order to place the
accent on the wingers. You play with the midfield and the forwards against the defense. Our defense will play the same
way as in a game, zonal line defense (also refer to the Mark
Wotte interview in our previous issue - red.).”
“I believe it is important to leave it open. In an exercise such
as this I do not spend a lot of time explaining how to do it. I
tell them what we are going to be doing and that the accent is
on the wingers and the rest is up to the players. When they
have a better option than to pass to the wingers, they obviously have to do that. In a game you also have to look for the
best option and you always have to do what you would do in a
game. However, you can always start the exercise by passing
to the wingers.”
“Its all the same exercise, but with a real
game element incorporated into it. That is
why I believe it is important that the
wingers always turn and face the ball. It
sounds like a cliché, but even in professional soccer games you see a lot of
wingers who are positioned the wrong way.
This is something a modern winger cannot
be permitted to do.”
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No. 2 - March/April 2004

19. 6 against 6 with the accent on the wingers
Organization
- 6 against 6 with a goalie on 3/4 of a field
- We always start with a pass from 10 on 6 or 8
- After the pass we play a normal game, in which both teams can
score on the big goal
- When a goal is scored or the ball is out of bounds we always start
again with a pass from 10 to 6 or 8
Coaching
- The accent is on the wingers, try to concentrate your coaching
on this.
Progression
- When everything is working, this exercise can be build out to a 7
against 7 or 8 against 8 scrimmage with goalies
Situation 1
“Start the exercise by passing the ball from 10 to 8. 8 will then pass to
11, but when this happens too slowly and the 4 defenders cover each
other, chances are that the winger may not be able to get through. When
8 allows for a little more depth, so that he pulls the midfield along with
him, number 10 will be able to get under it and will be able to receive the
pass. Now the moment you want to practice has come. What will number
7 do on the other side?”
Situation 2
“It is important for number 7 to always be free to receive a pass. He has
to be positioned wide and come from behind the defender. He should
not play behind his direct opponent and he should also not stand in the
penalty area the whole time, as this will distort the movement of the ball.
He will receive the pass from number 10. If the defender tries to cover
closely and execute pressure, the winger can pass the ball with his right
foot along the line. This way he will be able beat the defender in 1 move,
however this is not always possible.”
Situation 3
“Say the defender is fast enough and covers really close, in this case
he can play a deep cross pass. The accent is on constantly playing with
the defender.”
Situation 4
“Say that number 10 is for one reason or another unable to pass the ball
across such a distance. He may then also choose to pass the ball to 6
and we will take it from there. 6 does not necessarily have to pass to the
wingers, since this is not a real game scenario. When the opponents midfielder (who is guarding 6) is still in position in the center (length) of the
field, I believe the best option does not lie with passing to the winger,
but rather to take the ball to the winger, so you create a 2 against 1 situation with number 7 on that side of the field.”
No. 2 - March/April 2004
19

20. The Brazilian National U15 team played three friendly games in
The Brazilian National U15 team played three friendly games in
Bradenton (Florida), as preparation for the U17s World-cup in Peru in
Bradenton (Florida), as preparation for the U17s World-cup in Peru in
2005. This was a good opportunity for SoccerCoachingInternational to
2005. This was a good opportunity for SoccerCoachingInternational to
talk with team coach Luiz “ Lucho” Nizzo. It was not just an interview
talk with team coach Luiz “ Lucho” Nizzo. It was not just an interview
with the coach but also the whole staff from equipment manager to
with the coach but also the whole staff from equipment manager to
head of the delegation, a senator from one of the Brazilian states.
head of the delegation, a senator from one of the Brazilian states.
Luiz “Lucho” Nizzo,
Brazilian National U17 Team Coach
Brazil U17s
Youth Coaching
Luiz is a good example of someone who was not a world-class
player but who is working at the top in coaching. He played for
a lot of clubs but never for a team in the first division.
“I think it’s not always necessary to have played at the top
level, as long as you get the right coaching education. I went
to University and got a degree in physical education and began
coaching youth teams in Brazil. Before my present job I
coached the U15 Malaysian national team.”
Lessons in Life.
I asked Luiz why he didn’t work with senior teams in Brazil
after finishing his playing career. The answer was simple. A lot
of former pro players who start coaching professional teams
are not successful, as they have not had a proper background
in how to coach. Coaching and playing are so different.
20
“Preparing youth players for the very top is my life. And not
just soccer I also teach the players life skills. Not every player
makes it at either a pro team in Brazil or at a big European
club”. Every player in his team has the potential, but you never
quiet know who will follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo and the
other Brazilians in Europe.
Money
When players start playing for the national youth teams they
immediately become very attractive to agents. This can have
an adverse effect on players who loose their focus. Lucho
believes most players are going to Europe far too early and are
just not prepared for the huge culture shock. Most of them
come from poor families and the change from having very little
to being very wealthy in such a short space of time is very difficult for young men to comprehend. But alas agents are only
No. 2 - March/April 2004
Bestellen kan bij: Sportpartners, Tel. 026-3610081 Email. info@voetbaltraining.nl

21. looking at the financial side and not the welfare of the young
players. It is much better that players wait until they are at
least 21.
Skill
Watching the Brazilian youth players during the 3 games it
soon becomes apparent that they are much more comfortable
on the ball than the American youth players. The reason
behind this is the natural development of youth players in
Brazil. Playing on different surfaces (beaches, dirt, concrete,
grass) and a variety of balls (tennis, rubber, paper or soccer
balls), as well as different sizes, is the reason the Brazilian
players have much better ball control than the average soccer
player. The other advantage the Brazilian youth players have is
that school is only in the morning or afternoon, which leaves
plenty of time for playing soccer. Also very often they are too
poor to have TVs, computers or other modern gadgets that
consume most American and European children’s time.
Training
The myth that Brazilian youth players learn all their skills on
the beach or streets is wrong. Players from the age of 7 are
members of clubs or soccer schools, some of which are run by
former professional players such as Zico and Careca. Training
for the age 7 – 13 age group is based purely on ball skills
(Master of the Ball). From the age of 13 training becomes
more tactical.
Selection procedure
One selection procedure for clubs is based on a project that is
jointly sponsored by the Brazilian Soccer Association (C.B.F)
and Nike. Every year they organize a tournament where 5000
the youth teams of professional clubs. This project is also a
great social support for the poor kids who cannot buy gear to
play in.
New Philosophy
Brazil has developed a new philosophy for their national
teams. Branco, the former Brazilian international and coordinator of all the youth teams and Parreira, the National team
coach, had meetings with all Brazilian youth team coaches and
discussed the player development and strategy for the youth
as well as U20 and U23 national teams.
Parreira favors the 4-4-2 system and insists that all the other
teams play that way, with some variations allowed.
The main idea behind the new philosophy is:
- Attack the space. Fight for the open space on the field and
try to use it.
- Play “hard” when the opponent has the ball. This means they
must be tough and aggressive and tackle hard to get the ball
back as quickly as possible. We stress this in games and practice so it becomes second nature. The motto is “when they
play us hard we play them hard too”.
Preparation
poor children participate for nothing, and get free soccer gear
from Nike. During this five-month tournament, teams are
formed and train in their own communities with the association providing free facilities and transportation. At the end of
the tournament, 22 players are selected to train and play with
To prepare the team for an event like this, the squad
comes together at the national training camp in the
mountains named Granja Comary, which is at
Teresópolis near Rio de Janeiro. The complex has
5 fields, a sports hotel with fitness rooms, swimming pools and a gymnasium. This is a perfect
setting to prepare the players for tournaments.
The 7-10 days in the training camp is focused
on technical and tactical aspects of the game.
The physical part is not necessary because
the players already play enough games and
time is to precious to spend a lot of time on
this. The biggest difficulty they face is that a lot of
Brazilian youth teams play different systems such as
3-5-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 3-4-3. When players come to train
with us we must try to get them on line as quickly as possible,
which is not easy for players of 15 years old who are on the
first step of the ladder to become a national team player.
Balance
Important for Luiz is the balance of the team, both attacking
and defending. Not more than 5 players can attack at one
No. 2 - March/April 2004
21

22. time. Who is attacking is not important. If one of the full backs
goes forward, the other full back must stay in position, and one
of the central midfielders must cover the position of the defender who also moves forward.
Systems
“During this tournament we played 2 different systems. The
3–5-2 because one of our top players was injured and our
defenders are physically able to cover the field. The reason
more and more European teams have started playing 3-5-2 is
because the fields in Europe are smaller than the fields in
Brazil. That is why most Brazilian teams play a 4-4-2 because
the fields are so big that 3 defenders are not be able to cover
the width against fast, technical forwards who are playing in the
Brazilian premier league. In a 3-5-2 system its important the
central defender is fast and technical as he must be able to
build up the play. Size is not really important because his most
important job is covering the two other defenders and the operational space.
To be able to play another system is important as from this time
a team must be able to switch during or even before the start of
the game, depending on the formation of the opposition, and
what kind of players you have available. We prefer to play 4-4-2
when our best players are available, four defenders to cover the
width of the field, four midfielders to be creative and to have the
right balance in attack and defense. A good midfield is more
important than the number of forwards. If the ball is not going
forward, the number of forwards is useless because the ball is
not reaching its target. The main difference between the two
systems is that in a 3-5-2 system the full backs attack and in a
4-4-2 system the full backs stay put and the central defenders
go into midfield.
You must play for pleasure
Brazilians like to express their feelings and that is one of the
reasons we like to play creative soccer. Creating opportunities is
what our players like to do. Just defending is impossible for the
Brazilians, the same as it is for the Dutch; it is just not in our
culture.
Passport
Luiz “Lucho” Nizzo
Date of birth 13 February 1963
Playing career:
Vasco da gama
MesQusta – RJ
Rio Brancho- ES
Jtaperuna
Nacional – SP
Madureira
1983
1985
1987
1988
1989
1990
-
1985
1987
1988
1989
1990
Coaching career
Madureira
Botafo
Madureira
Fluminense
Botafo
Malaysia
Brazil
Madureira
1990 - 1994 under.10-11
1995 - 1996 under .12
1997 - 2000 under .15
200 under .15
2002 under .15
2002 National team under 15
2003 National team under 17
2004 Assistant-coach 1st team
Articlecode
544d592c
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No. 2 - March/April 2004

23. 3 v 3 line soccer
Organization:
- 3 against 3 a team can score when they dribble
across the line
- field 15 x 25 yards
- purpose of the exercise is to improve the speed of play
Coaching
- how to receive a ball
- creating triangle's
- overlapping runs
- wall passes
- individual actions
3 v 3 going to goal
Organization:
- 3 against 3 going to goal
- attacking team start with the ball on 40 yards from the goal
every time after an attack is over
progression:
-
3
3
4
5
defenders
defenders
defenders
defenders
versus
versus
versus
versus
4
5
5
5
attackers
attackers
attackers
attackers
Coaching points: defensive
-
work as a group together
communication : pass players on
stay connected , don't give space away between players
don't let players get behind you
11 v 0 7 Counter game
Organization:
-
Whole field
11 players against 0
the coach or assistant -coach is moving the ball.
Organization:
Coaching Points:
- Players need to be moving to the direction ball is moving.
- Distance between players and lines must be compact
No. 2 - March/April 2004
23

24. Bologna FC 1909 is one of Italy’s most successful clubs,
having won the “scudetto” – the Italian championship seven times. However, the last title win came in 1964
and in recent years the club’s ambitions have been more
geared to reaching one of the UEFA Cup places.
By: Frank Dunne
Michele Borghi,
Bologna FC U13 Coach:
“We don’t spend a lot
of time on tactics”
Bologna doesn’t make the headlines as often as AC Milan or
Juventus but it is, in many respects, one of the most forwardthinking of the Italian clubs. Giuseppe Gazzoni, Bologna’s
main shareholder, was one of the first Serie A presidents to
understand that if clubs spent more money than they earned
they would not survive for long. From the late 1990s onwards
he refused to sign star names on huge salaries, focusing
instead on nurturing home-grown talent. At first he was heavily criticized by the club’s hard-core fans but now, with
Fiorentina already having gone bankrupt and clubs like Roma
and Lazio on the brink, he is hailed as something of a prophet.
The youth coach
There are seven youth teams at Bologna and the youngest
group, the U-13s (known as “esordienti” in Italy), are in hands
of Michele Borghi. When a shoulder injury forced Michele to
quit playing semi-professional football at 28 he immediately
took up youth coaching at San Felice sul Panaro, a team from
Modena, 35km up the road from Bologna. Three seasons
ago, after seven years at San Felice, he joined Bologna.
The team
The U-13 group is made up of 21 players. The team plays in a
regional championship against kids aged 12 and 13. Michele
explains that the club deliberately put together a group of boys
who were on the small side but dynamic and with decent technique and put them in a league with slightly bigger boys to
push them and prepare them. “They are at a disadvantage
24
No. 2 - March/April 2004
physically at the moment but we hope that next year they will
have grown stronger from the experience.”
The approach
At Bologna the emphasis is on getting the basics of technique
right from day one, Michele explains. “We don’t spend a lot of
time on tactics with the U13s. Lots of technical work on the
basics and lots of match practice are the key elements. We
prefer to have a small number of technical and individual tactical objectives and work intensely on those rather than trying to
cover everything more superficially.
“For the youngest boys the most important technical aspect is
passing and receiving. The calling card of every young player
is how he strikes the ball. Many youngsters these days come
to clubs lacking in the basic ability to pass and control the

25. ball. I do talk to the players about tactics but it is always from
an individual point of view: if I am a defender how should I
position myself when the other team is attacking? If I’m
attacking, what position should I take up to be able to receive
the ball? We don’t get into structural team tactics beyond asking for a basic level of organization and positional sense during games. When they move up to the U14s they will begin to
learn a bit more about tactical issues.”
Both feet
“Using both feet is fundamental. We hammer home this principle from the very first day. When the players arrived at the
beginning of the season, they were a bit behind in this respect
because they hadn’t been used to using both feet. I’m pretty
satisfied with the progress they have made. Apart from one or
two players who still struggle a bit with their weaker foot, they
have all improved a lot.”
Mentality
Michele has learned that, in match situations, winning isn’t
everything. How the team plays is more important than the
outcome. “When I started out in coaching I used to enjoy
watching the team play to win. The longer I spend working
with youngsters, the more I realized that winning is not all that
important. Your team could win a game in which the players
have made lots of individual errors and the problems get
masked by the victory. You could lose a game but notice that
many of the players have made important improvements and
that is more satisfying than winning. The secret of being a
good youth coach is being able to identify and correct defects
in the players. When they get into the U15s and U16s winning
becomes more important.”
Structure: a typical week
The boys train in two-hour sessions on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday, with a match on Saturday. Each
session is based on four phases after an initial warm-up activity: 30 minutes of technical exercises, 30 minutes of themed,
small-sided matches, 30 minutes either on further technical
exercises or working on competitive situations (1v1, 2v1 etc),
30 minutes for an open match. Each week is based on one of
the fundamentals of technique and each day of the week is
based on a very specific element of that technique. “This
week is about passing, so one day is all about passing with
the inside of the foot, one day for passing with the inner part
of the instep, one day for passing with the full instep, one day
for passing with the outside of the foot.”
Today’s session: passing with the inside of the foot
The first group of passing and receiving exercises begins with
the players working in pairs and then in groups of four in an
8m x 8m square. Each exercise is brief - four to five minutes and repeated with variations that ensure that all players have
to use both feet, all have to pass the ball both forward and
How the team plays is more
important than the outcome.
No. 2 - March/April 2004
25

26. more quickly. For the last 30 minutes, two teams play a free
match, with no restrictions, in a three-quarter length pitch with
half-sized goals. Michele does not stop the game but makes
continual comments to individual players during the game
regarding their positioning or choice of pass.
Communication
diagonally, and that all have to pass and receive from standing
still and while in movement. The level of difficulty and intensity is gradually increased throughout the phase.
“There are a variety of things I am looking for. I want them to
look up when they have controlled the ball and to time the
pass correctly. With the diagonal pass, the players have to
think about which foot to use. If you are standing still and
playing a forward ball, you can use either foot. But if your
teammate is moving and you have to find him with a diagonal
ball, you have to choose which foot to use and what body
shape to adopt when receiving the ball.”
Michele’s explanations are short and sharp and always accompanied by him doing a short demonstration. He is not a
coach who loves the sound of his own voice but says that
some parts of the session require him to take a very hands-on
approach. “In the exercises and the themed games, I get in
close to the activity a lot to hammer home the technical and
tactical points which are the object of the day’s session. I
rarely intervene in the open match. What I ask from them in
the match is intensity so there’s no point me stopping the
game every few minutes with instructions. After an afternoon
of hard technical work you have to leave space for them to
express themselves and to explore.”
As far as possible, he keeps the mood of the group upbeat
and positive. “Sometimes it is necessary to say ‘that’s not
the right way to do it’ but if kids at this age hear you yelling all
After half an hour the players are split into three
teams of seven. They play on a small pitch with
half-sized goals. Two teams, A and B, play
against each other while the players of team C
take up positions along each touchline. They will
act as a “sponda”, or support, for the players in
team A. Players in team A can only touch the ball
three times. The players in team B have no
restrictions. There are three games of about ten
minutes with the teams switching roles, so that
each team gets to work with the support players.
Michele explains how the activity is based on the
give-and-go techniques they are practicing today
and on improving tactical awareness. “The free team tries to
attack directly and can use as many touches as they need to
get past the opponents. The players with three touches will
often find their path blocked by an opponent. They can’t dribble him so they have to make a choice: look for a forward
pass or use the support players to the side. If they can, they
should look for the forward pass, but if not they should look
for support – this way they get used to using the whole width
of the pitch to keep the ball moving. This is a tactical awareness but it is also linked to the training exercises because to
use the support players properly they have to execute the giveand-go moves they were practicing earlier.”
The players then go back to the squares for more technical
work on passing and receiving. The exercises expand the giveand-go elements that were introduced briefly earlier but are
more demanding and Michele demands that they are executed
the time ‘you’ve done it wrong – you’ve made a mistake’ they
can get a bit upset so I always try to make criticism constructive, explaining with positive examples and encouragement.”
Stretching
Boys of this age don’t need to spend a great deal of time on
fitness and stamina work. Instead, every ten to fifteen minutes, and in the pauses after matches, they do a couple of
minutes of light stretching, concentrating on the legs. As
Michele explains, this has several functions: “It gives them a
brief rest between demanding exercises and helps to calm
them down a bit so they can listen properly to the explanation
of the next activity. But it also increases their flexibility and
mobility which helps them to improve the technical execution
of passing and receiving.”
Articlecode e9966728
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No. 2 - March/April 2004

27. The forward push pass from a stationary position
Organisation
- four players in a square 8m x 8m, divided into two pairs.
- A passes to C, B passes to D, each player controls with one
foot and returns with the other, always using the inside
of the foot
Coaching
- the players have to look up before playing the ball to avoid the two
balls clashing in the middle and have to think about the timing of
the pass
“Give and go” - passing and moving, using the forward pass
Organization
- Same four players in pairs in same 8m x 8m square
- A passes to B and at the same time B passes to D
- A and B then change places, C and D stay in position, so that C
returns the ball to B and D to A
- The player at point x always stops the ball with his right and returns with
his right, at point x always uses his left
- 4/5 minutes then players switch roles
Coaching points
- The players have a tendency to play a sloppy pass because they are
already on the turn as they play the ball and so have the wrong body
shape – the pass must be executed with total concentration before the
player moves
- Players are receiving the ball on the move so must keep their heads up
to watch the ball arriving
- When playing the diagonal ball the players have to think about the
timing of the pass
Fast pass and move exercise with diagonal pass
Organization
- Same four players, same square
- A passes to D and then moves to where B is standing, B moves to
where A was standing
- D must then play a diagonal pass, either to B (in A’s old place) or to C,
switching position with the other player in diagonal (so if he passes to
C, he changes places with B)
- The player receiving always controls the ball first before playing the next
pass
- Once the basic rules are understood the exercise must be played at a
fast pace
Coaching
- For each pass, one of two players could receive the ball so both have to
keep alert with the right body shape
- The pass can go either left or right so the passing player has to choose
the correct foot to play the ball, using his right foot to play to his left
and vice versa
- The direction of the “go” movement is no longer automatic, it could be
either left or right depending on where the ball has been played, so
players are having to make quick decisions and movements
No. 2 - March/April 2004
27

28. René Hake is head of the youth academy and coach of
the U15 selection at BVO Emmen.
SoccerCoachingInternational talked to him about coaching the U15 selection. “Second year U15 players are at a
stage of their lives where they are trying to rebel against
everything, as a coach you try to lead them in the right
direction. That process is extremely important with this
age group.
By: Paul van Veen
René Hake, U15 coach BVO Emmen:
“The challenge is to get
them to help each other”
“There is a big difference between the first and second year
U15 players. The first year players are still very obedient in
everything they do, the second year players, on the other
hand, are slowly starting to rebel. They want to talk about soccer and feel that they also have a say in things, I try to give
them as much space as possible in order for them to do this.
It is a constant tug of war. Sometimes you need to have a
strong hold on them and the next time you have to give them
some space to see how much responsibility they can handle.”
difficult than telling them they played a bad ball.”
Way of playing
“You search for certainties within your playing style. It is
therefore important that you make clear objectives on how to
play when the opponent has possession. You start to place
importance on the functions of the individual players within the
team. You have to teach these players how to function on the
field as individuals, as lines and as a team. At the U17 and
U19 selections you start to perfect these skills.”
Responsibility
“Some weeks are better than others. They have a lot of problems, pointing out each other’s weaknesses. As a coach you
try to encourage them to talk to each other about responsibility, but they rebel against everything, including each other. They
still have to learn how to accept each other, and not everybody
is ready for that. This process is a key factor for the team spirit within the U15 selection. And your not even specifically talking about soccer yet.”
Reproach
“An example of this is that they regularly reproach each other
in a game. They do not help each other out, but rather take
the approach of: “I know more than you do”. This is typical
adolescent behavior. Telling a teammate how to do it is more
28
No. 2 - March/April 2004
Variation
“With first year U15 players you have to allow them to experience what it is like to play in different positions. For example
the left winger, will also need to experience what it is like to
be a left midfielder and a left back. This is slowly phased out
over time, as they start to develop their set positions. A second year U15 player may play in a left winger position with the
U15 selection, however when he reaches the U19 selection he
might play in the left back position. This completely depends
on the personal development of the individual player. With the
younger players it is hard to determine how they will develop in
the years to come. It is therefore important that they experience what it is like to play in different positions.”

29. Perspective
“You can implement this in practice on a regular basis, but it
also happens in the game, depending on what situation arises. Besides, this is the ideal situation for a player to observe
his position from another perspective. When a left midfielder is
plays left back he has a perfect view of what is happening in
front of him. He can see how he has to react to how the left
back plays and experience how the player, who normally plays
behind him, views the game.”
course this will go wrong 10 times more often with the U15
selection than with the U17 selection. And likewise it will go
wrong 10 times more often with the U17 selection than with
the U19 selection. However the idea behind it remains the
same. Which side do you let them cover? Which foot do they
have to cover? You also talk about this with the U15 selections, mainly so they can start thinking about things like this,
but mainly to ensure they are prepared when they reach the
next playing level. It is all part of the learning process.”
1-3-4-3
Help
“With the U15 selection you often play a 3-4-3 formation,
especially at the level we are playing at (2nd division). In
defense we play man marking, because we are often better
than the opponent. Next year this will be different, because we
do not have the same qualities as a team like Ajax or Vitesse.
We might also have to play with a 4-man defense then,
because we will be playing on our half of the field more often
than we do now. This means you will have to play a different
game, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. This way you
confront the players with other organizations and formations.”
“This way you can also talk about other positions. The left midfielder needs to provide close cover when the left- winger executes pressure. What will the right midfielder be doing? Will he
close? Will he position himself in between the opponents’ left
back and left midfielder so he can help the right midfielder?
Of course they are going to make mistakes once in a while,
but the challenge is to position themselves in such a way that
they can help each other out.
They have to know (and learn) from each other about what
they have to do and when they have to do it.”
Details
Development
“The older the players get the more emphasis you place on
details. When the left midfielder executes pressure with the
U15 selection, you will later tell him to cover the outside. You
have to have the confidence in your left midfielder that he is
covering the opponents’ right midfielder when he receives a
pass. These are the things you discuss with each other. Of
“When you look at the development over a year you can witness a big improvement, especially when you are playing
against teams who play at a higher level. You will witness
them learning how to deal with these situations and making
the step to help each other out. In the games we play in our
current competition this is not always necessary, because we
No. 2 - March/April 2004
29

30. are better than our opponents. However when you play against
better opponents supporting each other is crucial.”
The role of the coach
“This morning at practice you could see the difference. I told
both teams to play in a 1-3-3-3 formation, but within 5 minutes
the yellow team was trailing 3-0, because their organization
was not positioned accurately. The junior U15 selection is not
yet able to solve the problem themselves, in stead they
reproach each other for their mistakes. As a coach you need
to jump in and fix the organization. They cannot do that themselves, they know the organization is not right, but finding a
solution and fixing the problem still proves to be very hard.”
Technique
“We also devote a lot of time on technique with the U15 selections. All soccer facets will be reviewed, including passing,
shooting, receiving and carrying/taking the ball. We practice
this almost every practice. The ‘loose’ technique is primarily
used as a warm-up. The real techniques will be automatically
improved throughout the competition. By adapting the rules
you can accentuate a certain aspect. For example when you
play 4 against 4 you may implement a rule that players are not
allowed to score from a direct pass from the goalie, this
ensures that there will always be backup for the player who
receives the pass. You will notice that the players always work
on receiving the pass, are constantly moving, are turned into
position and are always trying to find a way to free themselves
from their opponent. In the passing and shooting exercise you
also touch on these concepts, but here you are mainly talking
about how to touch the ball. In a game you pay attention to
how they develop and take it one step further.”
games at this age. Before our game of tag I pointed out their
responsibilities, because the equipment was not in order. So I
punished them, because the balls were soft and they were not
taking their responsibilities seriously. However, because we
have a game tomorrow I needed to restore the atmosphere
within the team, so we played a game of tag.”
Receiving
“We regularly do certain rotation forms in the warm-up by
which players need to receive the ball from a movement, and
as a coach you accentuate this. When you witness a player
putting his foot on the ball while receiving a pass you can
point out he is more vulnerable. The next time this player
receives a ball he will, for example, carry the ball inside and
pass it with his other foot. You can tell they are working on it
and that is what it is all about.”
Possession game
“For a U15 coach it is really important to find the right balance
between team practices on, for example, possession play from
the back, possession of the opponent or the transition.
Practicing this 4 times per week with this age category does
not work. Instead I believe it is important to play a lot of possession games and scrimmages with this age group. You can
vary this by playing a big game one time and a small game the
next. When you play 4 against 4, the experience will always be
great. Today we played 9 against 9 and they loved it, but you
cannot do this every practice with these players.”
Atmosphere
“We train 5 times per week and I think we work on technique
and skills the first 20 minutes about 4 times per week, as a
warm-up. Sometimes we also work on the atmosphere within
the team. Today we played a game of tag, the guys love these
Articlecode 9ce77d7f
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No. 2 - March/April 2004

31. Cutting and turning in 3s or 4s
Organization
- Player 1 passes to player 2
- Player 1 executes pressure on player 2
- Player 1 receives the ball to the right and cuts with the outside of his foot and proceeds by taking over with his left foot.
- Player 1 dribbles to the other side, once again cuts the ball with the
outside of his foot and passes to the other side and immediately
pressures the next player
Progression
- The defense executes more and more pressure
Coaching
- Bend the knees
- Keep your body in between the ball and the opponent
- Use arms for balance and to hold off the opponent
Variation
- Inside-outside
- Behind standing foot
- Under foot
Passing and shooting in 3s or 4s
Organization
- Player 1 passes to player 2
- Player 2 receives the ball with his left foot, carries it to
the right and passes with his right foot to player
- Players stay on the same side
- Pass to right foot as well as left foot
Coaching
-
Pass as straight and directly as possible
Receive in front of you
Bend the knees
Carry the ball within the movement
Variation
- Pass as straight and directly as possible
- Follow the ball instead of staying on your own side
Scrimmage 4 against 4 with 2 goalies
Organization
- 4 against 4 with two goalies on two big goals
- Extra rule: players are not allowed to score from a direct
pass from the goalie
Coaching
-
Good receiving
Join the deep striker at the moment he is passed to
Good wall pass
Depth before width
The organization has to be positioned correctly. The sides
may not play too far in front of the ball. They cannot be
there, they have to get there.
No. 2 - March/April 2004
31

32. Steve Gummer, Coerver
Coaching’s Director of Coaching
The importance
of Technical
development at
an early age.
Soccer through its history has always maintained the same
objectives; score more goals than the other team and you win, a
simple premise but not always as easy as it sounds. Generally it
is easier to destruct than it is to construct, so the better you can
master the ball the better the player you will become, which in
turn will provide confidence and the ability to take more risks as
a creative soccer player. SoccerCoachingInternational talked
with Steve Gummer Coerver Coaching’s Director of Coaching for
South Carolina and Boys’ Technical Director for Cobb FC, a highly regarded club in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area
By Peter Langens
Coerver
As a native of England, Steve played English Semi-Pro football
for more than ten years, and spent 15 months with
Switzerland’s FC Vernier, in Geneva. He has also coached with
youth academies attached to several professional clubs in
England and Switzerland, including the English FA School of
Excellence, the youth academy associated with the governing
body of the English Football Association. Steve first came to
the United States in 1994 as a staff coach for International
Soccer USA. For the past 3 years, Steve has organized and
directed Coerver camps throughout Georgia; and in May of
2002, he was named Coerver Coaching’s Director of Coaching
for South Carolina.
there is more emphasis now on the technical development of
every individual player. With this philosophy COERVER COACHING has become the worlds number one soccer skills teaching
program.
The Pyramid
Coerver Coaching has designed a curriculum, which links all of
the essential ingredients together with a unique methodology,
which is labeled the “Pyramid of Player Development” This
Pyramid has been broken down into six building blocks:
BALL MASTERY
RECEIVING AND PASSING
Changes
MOVES (1v1)
Over the last twenty years soccer has seen many changes all
for the good of the game, as have players improved in their
own technical ability the rewards are seen every day on soccer
stages across the world. The question is where do all of these
great players learn their trades. Is it by watching idols from
there childhood, constant practice in the backyard, or at the
local park playing in pick up games. I think the answer is that
32
No. 2 - March/April 2004
SPEED
FINISHING
GROUP ATTACK
In our next issues more about
the building blocks.

33. Beneficial
The Coerver method is critical to young players and is most
beneficial between the ages of 6 to 15. At an early age players
are very receptive to a new exciting challenge and the Coerver
curriculum is a wonderful program, which gives players the
tools to play the game and be successful and have the confidence to experiment as an individual as well as a team player.
As Coerver has grown its global network over the last 30 years
it has effected many countries and players and is endorsed by
major powerhouses in the world of soccer, to name but a few
Bayern Munchen, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Marseille, Newcastle
United and Arsenal, are some of the clubs which install the
Coerver method into there development of there academy programs. Along with this there are many National federations that
support the Coerver method as it has become the Worlds
Number One Soccer Skills teaching program.
David Beckham
Individual players who have had association with the coerver
program are, Harry Kewell, Liverpool and Australia, Zinedine
Zidane, Real Madrid and France, David Beckham Real Madrid
and England, Jungen Klinsmann of Germany, and many more
across the globe.
All of the above are household names and respected giants in
the great world of soccer, but how does Coerver coaching
affect the millions of players that have aspirations of performing on the world stage in the future. Coever Coaching has a
global network which offers programs in Europe, Asia, Oceania,
Africa, and North America. This network effects the way players
all over the world are developed and molded into gifted technicians as well as having an extensive library which includes
books, videos, and CDs all for the up and coming coach who
wants to learn more about the program.
Coerver Coaching
For me Coerver Coaching has changed and opened my eyes
into the method in which young soccer players are taught and
developed technically. I was first introduced to the Coerver
Program many years ago through the art of the video tape and
watched many young soccer players performing many moves
and change of direction exercises all together in unison. It
looked great and well organized, but it was not until I met Paul
Gibbons that I familiarized myself with Coerver Coaching. Paul
is the Georgia and Florida licensee for Coerver Coaching and
he invited me to one of his summer coerver soccer schools
where I automatically fell in love with this program. The way the
exercises were broken down to develop players all made perfect sense to me. A lot of the practices were so simple they
effected every player at the camp, gave them confidence and
success, and also brought a smile to every player who attended the soccer school.
"A lot of the practices were so simple
they effected every player at the
camp, gave them confidence and
success, and also brought a smile to
every player who attended the soccer
school"
No. 2 - March/April 2004
33

34. Hooked
It was several soccer schools later and I was hooked, which motivated me to learn more about the program. That was five years
ago and I am now enjoying the coerver method as a licensee and
the Atlanta representive for Coerver Coaching. In addition to
working for Coerver-Coaching I am also the Technical Director for
Cobb FC a youth soccer association in Atlanta GA. Over the last 4
years I have installed the “Worlds #1 skills teaching method” into
our own academy program. The way our players have improved is
amazing, we have players both girls and boys who are developing
into excellent soccer players, who have acquired great technical
ability which only helps them as they strive for greater things in
the future. Developing soccer players is a very time consuming
process and it cannot be rushed, but if you follow the principles
in which you believe and you stay true to the cause, players will
evolve and the whole game is much easier to teach, when the
players you work with have all of the tools they need. In fact if
they are technically proficient the rest is so much easier.
Passport
Steve Gummer
Wiel Coerver
The fact of the matter is that Wiel Coerver the Dutch Visionary
who first gave us this revolutionary system back in the 1970s
and with the help of Alfred Galustian (International Director) and
Charlie Cooke (North America Director),
Date of birth 9 July 1966
Playing career
1982 – 1999
Bridgwater Town
Bridgwater YMCA
Weston –Super Mare
Minehead Town
FC Vernier
Bideford Town
Coerver Coaching has become the
WORLDS NUMBER ONE SOCCER SKILLS TEACHING PROGRAM.
Coaching Career
1990 – Present.
Bridgwater Town
Minehead Town
English FA Schools of Excellence
Leavenworth Lightning
(Technical Director)
International Soccer USA
Coaching Director
Georgia ODP Staff
Cobb FC Technical Director
Coerver - Coaching Director
Atlanta & South Carolina.
License: “B” License from
the Union of European
Football Associations (UEFA)
United States Soccer
Federation (USSF) “A” License.
Articlecode 8dcdd9a6
34
No. 2 - March/April 2004

35. Coerver moves
Organization:
Players A and B dribble to each other and perform a move and go
dribble to the cone they face. Reaching the cone they pass the ball
to player C and D they repeat the same exercise
- 4 cones
- 10 balls
- Field 20 x 20 yards
Moves:
- stepover
- scissor
- double scissor
Coaching points:
-
quality of dribble
quality off pass
proper assessment of space when to pull the move
surfaces of the foot
4 v 4 with 4 neutral players
Organization:
1 team keep the ball away from the other team, they can
use the neutral players who are on the outside of the
field
- field size 40 yards x 20 yards
- 10 balls
Progression:
- 10 passes = 1 point
- after 3 minutes switch neutral players with a team in the field.
- After 5 minutes switch neutral players with a team in the field
Coaching points:
- positioning in relation with players in the field and neutral players
- accuracy of passing
- communication
Touch passing
Organization:
3 or more players pass the ball in 1 touch to each
other, after the pass player moves to the end of the
row opposite of him.
- 4 balls
Progression:
2
- right foot
- left foot
- increase speed of the pass
Coaching points:
- Balance of the body: leaning over the ball to keep the ball on the
ground
- accuracy with pass that teammate can pass the ball in once back
- “ last glance” look over the shoulder to now what is going on
behind you
No. 2 - March/April 2004
35